Among the many factors that make diabetes a one of the greatest health concerns is the cost. For the diabetic, analysis of treatments, surgery, drugs, and complications and their prices should be a serious consideration. Particularly with type 2 diabetes, many of the complications and additional health risks associated with the disease are preventable. This is also true for metabolic syndrome and pre-diabetes, both of which can be prevented with weight loss, a healthy diet, and physical activity. In a study published in the Diabetes Journals, researchers compared the incurred cost of screening for diabetes versus non-screening. Their results determined an average cost of pre-diabetes screening over 3 years to be roughly between $180,635 – $192,261 versus the estimated cost of $205,966 for not screening.
Diabetic Analysis – Cost of Care
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) operates a Diabetes Cost Calculator on their website that provides cost estimates on the state and congressional district level based on a cost analysis report printed in Diabetes Care in 2007. According to the report, in 2007 the total estimated cost of diabetes was $127 billion with $116 billion in excess medical costs and $58 million in lost productivity. Medical costs for direct treatment of diabetes was $27 billion, $58 billion to treat chronic complications, and $31 billion in excess general medical costs. Hospital inpatient care accounted for 50% of spending, 12% was for medication, 11% for retail prescriptions to treat complications, and 9% for doctors visits. The conclusion of the report estimated the true cost of diabetes to be higher than $174 billion due to “social intangibles” like pain, unpaid care, and undiagnosed diabetes. A separate analysis of the cost of diabetes estimated that by 2020 the cost would increase to $192 billion. A federal study done in 2010 found that 23% ($83 billion) of hospital costs were due to diabetes. In that report conducted by Taressa Fraze of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, researchers found, on average patients, with diabetes had 2.6 more complicating diseases and an average cost of a hospital of $10,940. Medicare paid for about 60% of the costs of hospitalization.
Global Diabetic Analysis
Globally diabetes is a huge economic burden particularly in low- and middle-income countries where 80% of all diabetes cases live. According to the International Diabetes Federation, the global cost of diabetes in 2011 was $465 billion, and 11% of total healthcare costs for adults 20-79 years old. By 2030 the estimated cost is $595 billion. Exacerbating these costs is the prevalence of undiagnosed cases, especially in Africa, low- and middle-income countries in the Middle East and Africa, South-East Asia, and the Western Pacific.
